Cross Stitch Pattern Maker

A stitch chart, not merely a pixelated picture

A useful counted pattern needs more than large colored squares. This maker reduces the source image to a finite grid, derives a custom palette, assigns one symbol to every color and counts every occupied cell. The chart and legend therefore remain readable when two colors look similar or when printed without color. Each occupied cell means one full cross stitch. The MVP does not generate half stitches, quarter stitches, three-quarter stitches, backstitch, French knots or blended-thread symbols.

Choose the processing mode that matches the source:

• Photo mode is intended for photographs, paintings and images with gradual shading. It favors a simplified overall impression at the selected stitch and color limits.
• Pixel art mode is intended for sprites, icons and other hard-edged sources. It preserves block structure instead of treating the source like a continuous-tone photograph.

Automatic reduction always discards detail. A face that reads clearly at 120 stitches wide may become unrecognizable at 30. Start with a tightly cropped source, compare several widths and palette sizes, and use the cleanup editor to remove isolated cells or repair important edges.

Settings and what they change

Custom colors are not DMC numbers

The palette is derived from the pixels in this project. Its codes, C01, C02, C03 and so on, identify colors inside this chart only. They are not DMC numbers, Anchor numbers, product recommendations or guaranteed matches to dye lots. Screen color also depends on the display, while real floss changes with lighting, fabric color, strand count and neighboring stitches.

Use the on-screen RGB/HEX swatch as a starting reference, then compare it with a physical thread card or the floss you already own. If an exact brand match matters, make that choice yourself before stitching and note the selected product beside each Cxx code. The chart deliberately avoids presenting a mathematically nearby screen color as a verified thread SKU.

Symbols are not decoration. They let the chart communicate color assignments without relying on color alone, consistent with the principle behind WCAG’s guidance on meaningful graphical contrast. When printing, check that the grid, symbols and legend remain sharp and legible at the chosen scale.

Finished size from fabric count

Fabric count describes how many stitch positions fit in one inch. DMC’s guide to cross-stitch fabric explains that a higher Aida count creates smaller stitches, while the Cross Stitch Guild gives the direct sizing rule in its cross-stitch FAQ: divide the number of chart stitches by the effective stitches per inch.

finished width in inches  = chart width in stitches  ÷ effective fabric count
finished height in inches = chart height in stitches ÷ effective fabric count
centimetres               = inches × 2.54

For example, a 98 × 70 chart on 14-count Aida has a stitched area of 7 × 5 inches, or about 17.78 × 12.70 cm. These are the dimensions of the stitched design, not the fabric cut. Add the border required for holding, finishing or framing. If you stitch over two threads on linen or evenweave, enter the effective stitches per inch: 28-count fabric worked over two has an effective count of 14 stitches per inch.

What the floss estimate assumes

The color table reports exact full-cross counts from the current chart. Thread use is necessarily an estimate because a flat image cannot know how you will route thread on the back. The generic calculation follows the planning rule in CrossStitch.com’s floss-estimate guide, which approximates the number of full crosses available from a standard six-strand skein at a given fabric count and strand count.

estimated stitches per skein = 255 × effective fabric count ÷ strands
estimated skeins per color   = color stitch count ÷ estimated stitches per skein

This convention cannot predict parking, long carries, isolated stitches, starts, stops, knots, loop starts, tension, mistakes or discarded ends. It also cannot account for differences in skein length or strand construction between products. Treat the decimal result as a comparison and shopping aid, check the packaging of the thread you choose, and round up, especially when a dye-lot match matters.

Exports and browser-local processing

• Project JSON preserves the editable chart setup, custom palette and cleanup changes for this tool. It is not a universal embroidery-software format.
• CSV provides machine-readable chart cells and color codes for spreadsheet or custom workflows.
• SVG keeps the symbol chart and legend sharp as vector graphics.
• PNG produces a raster copy for previews and sharing.
• Print / Save PDF opens the browser’s print interface. PDF availability and page options belong to the browser and operating system; the tool does not create a separate native embroidery PDF format.

JPEG, PNG and WebP files are opened with browser file and graphics facilities. The File API gives a page access only after you select a local file, while the Canvas API supports local image decoding, sampling and drawing. Generated raster downloads use the browser’s canvas blob export. Your source pixels, chart cells, palette and project file stay in browser-local tool state; normal page requests still occur when the page loads or when funnel steps change.

The 150-stitch and 40-color ceilings keep chart generation, editing, storage and export responsive on ordinary devices. Very large sources are still reduced to the selected chart grid: increasing the source image’s megapixels does not raise the chart limit or restore detail lost to a small stitch count.